Dyson racing to give Grand-Am another go
"The Dysons have amassed an enviable record in both motorsports and the Grand-Am series and we feel we are partnering with racing royalty," stated John McCutchen II, principal of Godstone Ranch Motorsports. "This pairing will further our mission to raise funds for the Texas Heart Institute founded by Dr. Denton Cooley. Our goals off the track and our desire to be competitive on the track mesh perfectly."
Dyson Racing is one of the founding teams of the Grand-Am where they won sixteen races, two drivers' and three team championships from 2000 through 2002. The program will be run from their Poughkeepsie, NY headquarters. "We were fortunate to hook up with some really great people at Godstone Ranch Motorsports with John McCutchen and Karen Garrett and John and Godstone's partners helped bring the effort to fruition," said Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director of Dyson Racing. "I believe we have the fastest car in the series in the Lola and the best engine – the Roush Yates Ford. There are some great people who have come to the table to make this happen. We are looking forward to racing at Utah with the goal of doing more races in 2011. We have won the Rolex 24 at Daytona twice and it would be great to go back there again with a proper, in-house effort. We have the facility and the staff to accommodate this program to run in parallel to our primary ALMS effort."
The #16 car will be driven by Rolex Pro-Am driver John McCutchen and sportscar legend Davy Jones. McCutchen re-entered racing in 2008 and debuted in the Rolex series in this year's Rolex 24 at Daytona. He has captured 13 podiums out of 18 starts including 12 wins since his return. Jones is one of the more celebrated drivers in sportscar racing and brings a strong foundation of experience to the team. Jones has been competitive in any car he has driven, from British Formula Three to NASCAR. He made his name in prototype racing with TWR Jaguar, winning twelve IMSA GTP races. He won the 1990 Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1996. In that same year, he was also second in the Indy 500.
Godstone Ranch Motorsports was founded by Karen Garrett as a 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation to raise funds for the Texas Heart Institute in Houston. "Our desire is to have motorsports contribute to our daily lives and be more than just a sport," stated Garrett.
Attending the Utah race will be Ally Smith, the Institute's "Bionic Bride" who recently appeared on the Today Show and in April's People magazine. She lives with a Texas Heart Institute artificial heart pump implant which assists her heart while it heals. More information on Godstone Ranch Motorsports and the work they do, can be found at www.godstoneranchmotorsports.com. You can also follow the team at www.twitter.com/godstoneranch.
John McCutchen, Davy Jones and Chris Dyson will be featured on the Tuesday, August 31st NASCAR Grand-Am teleconference call. The team will be testing the following two days at Monticello Motor Club in Monticello, NY prior to their public debut at Utah.